Nonna Tina’s Sure Hits: Addicting Artichokes (GF + V)

Can artichokes be addicting? My Nonna Tina’s recipe points to sure yes.

In my family, we call my nonna’s top recipes “sure hits.” These include her infamous peas (which I try to replicate), her Dorada fish, and yes, these artichokes. A couple days ago, I was feeling nostalgic and called my nonna to ask how she prepares them. I braced myself for a complicated recipe. Instead, the key ingredient humbled me: Trader Joe’s frozen artichoke hearts.

As a college student, having frozen vegetables on hand are an easy way for me to eat a variety of vegetables with ease and convenience. This recipe will take you no longer than 10 minutes, really.

Before we get into the preparation, let’s delve into some nutritional features of artichokes:

• High in fiber. One medium artichoke contains almost 7 grams of fiber, which is a 23–28% of the reference daily intake (RDI). In particular, they are high in inulin, which is a type of fiber which is known to help prevent gastrointestinal issues like constipation.
• Higher in protein than most vegetables. I was surprised to learn that every serving of artichokes has about 3.5 grams of protein!
• High in polyphenols. Polyphenols are a group of phytochemicals found largely in plant foods that can repair damaged cells that impair your immune function.

Ready to cook? The journey is simple:

1. Rinse your frozen artichokes to get rid of frost.
2. Place in a pan with a bit of water (~1/3 cup) and cover over medium-high heat. After three minutes, uncover the pan, add ~1/2 tsp or more of salt, and give it a stir.
3. Add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic, and stir. You want the garlic to almost melt with the water to render a creamy consistency. If there’s no more water, add a splash.
4. Add in your thyme (leaves from about 4 sprigs), finely chopped parsley (optional), and a nice round of black pepper.
5. When the artichokes are ready and cooked, drizzle good quality olive oil and give it one last nice stir.
6. Set aside and serve!

How can you pair these artichokes? The opportunities are endless, but here are a couple pointers:

• Put it on a thick piece of toast, with tofu ricotta and extra olive oil of course
• Another toast variation could be to add it to a chickpea-olive style bruschetta
• Add it to your paella
• Immerse it in your spaghetti aglio e olio
• Serve it as a side for polenta